UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PPBLICATI0N3 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 
AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN 
•       CALIFORNIA 


BY 

F.  W.  WOLL  AND  E.  C.  VOORHIES 


BULLETIN  No.  271 

September,  1916 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 
BERKELEY 

1916 


Benjamin  Ide  Wheeler,  President  of  the  University. 

EXPEEIMENT  STATION  STAFF 

HEADS   OF  DIVISIONS 

Thomas  Forsyth  Hunt,  Director. 

Edward  J.  Wickson,  Horticulture  (Emeritus). 

Herbert  J.  Webber,  Director  Citrus  Experiment  Station;  Plant  Breeding. 

Hubert  E.  Van  Norman,  Vice-Director;  Dairy  Management. 

William  A.  Setchell,  Botany. 

Myer  E.  Jaffa,  Nutrition. 

Robert  H.  Loughridge,  Soil  Chemistry  and  Physics  (Emeritus). 

Charles  W.  Woodworth,  Entomology. 

Ralph  E.  Smith,  Plant  Pathology. 

J.  Eliot  Coit,  Citriculture. 

John  W.  Gilmore,  Agronomy. 

Charles  F.  Shaw,  Soil  Technology. 

John  W.  Gregg,  Landscape  Gardening  and  Floriculture. 

Frederic  T.  Bioletti,  Viticulture  and  Enology.  , 

Warren  T.  Clarke,  Agricultural  Extension. 

John  S.  Burd,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

Charles  B.  Lipman,  Soil  Chemistry  and  Bacteriology. 

Clarence  M.  Harinq,  Veterinary  Science  and  Bacteriology. 

Ernest  B.  Babcock,  Genetics. 

Gordon  H.  True,  Animal  Husbandry. 

James  T.  Barrett,  Plant  Pathology. 

Fritz  W.  Woll,  Animal  Nutrition. 

A.  V.  Stubenrauch,  Pomology. 

Walter  Mulford,  Forestry. 

W.  P.  Kelley,  Agricultural  Chemistry. 

H.  J.  Quayle,  Entomology. 

Elwood  Mead,  Rural  Institutions. 

J.  B,  Davidson,  Agricultural  Engineering. 

H.  S.  Reed,  Plant  Physiology. 

D.  T.  Mason,  Forestry. 

William  G.  Hummel,  Agricultural  Education. 

John  E.  Dougherty,  Poultry  Husbandry. 

S.  S.  Rogers,  Olericulture. 

*Frank  Adams,   Irrigation   Investigations. 

David  N.  Morgan,  Assistant  to  the  Director. 

Mrs.  D.  L.  Bunnell,  Librarian. 

■  Division  of  Animal  Husbandry 

Gordon  H.  True  R.  F.  Miller 

F.  W.  Woll  E.  C.  Voorhies 

J.  I.  Thompson  Miss  C.  J.  Hill 


*  In  co-operation  with  office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering,   U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 

By  F.  W.  WOLL  and  E.   C.  VOORHIES 


The  subject  of  calf  raising  is  one  of  fundamental  importance  to 
the  dairy  farmer,  and  success  or  failure  in  raising  the  calf  crop  depends 
at  least  as  much  on  the  method  of  feeding  adopted,  as  on  the  care  and 
handling  which  the  young  stock  receives.  With  the  increase  in  city 
population,  a  larger  proportion  of  the  milk  produced  on  dairy  farms 
is  used  every  year  for  direct  consumption,  or  for  the  manufacture  of 
condensed  milk  or  cheese ;  and  the  supply  of  skim  milk  for  feeding 
young  stock  is  reduced  in  proportion.  This  renders  it  more  difficult 
for  the  dairy  farmer  to  raise  healthy  vigorous  calves  that  will  develop 
into  good  dairy  cows,  and  makes  it  especially  important  to  utilize  the 
skim  milk  at  the  disposal  of  the  farmer  in  such  a  manner  as  to  secure 
the  best  results  with  it  in  raising  his  young  stock. 

There  is  but  little  definite  information  as  to  the  value  of  the 
various  dairy  feeds  that  are  available  in  this  state  for  calf  feeding; 
nearly  all  experiments  with  calves  on  record  having  been  conducted 
with  feeding  stuffs  different  from  those  commonly  used  here,  or  under 
conditions  that  vary  greatly  from  those  existing  here.  In  order 
to  supply  some  accurate  information  on  different  calf-feeding  pro- 
blems in  this  state,  and  to  ascertain  in  how  far  calves  can  be  profitably 
raised  on  skim  milk  with  supplementary  feeds  under  our  conditions, 
the  Division  of  Animal  Husbandry  has  for  nearly  two  years  past 
conducted  a  series  of  investigations  on  the  value  of  different  grain 
mixtures  for  feeding  calves.  The  present  bulletin  presents  brief 
accounts  of  these  trials,  and  such  general  information  relating  to  the 
subject  of  raising  calves  as  experience  has  taught  us  will  be  useful  to 
our  dairy  farmers. 

METHOD   OF  RAISING   SKIM  MILK   CALVES 

The  general  method  of  raising  calves  in  the  University  dairy  herd 
and  among  good  dairy  farmers  in  the  state  is  about  as  follows:  The 
new-born  calf  is,  as  a  rule,  left  with  the  dam  for  a  day  only;  if  the 
udder  is  greatly  inflamed  or  the  calf  is  very  weak  it  is  kept  with 
the  cow  for  several  days.  It  is  fed  whole  milk  for  about  two  weeks; 
at  first  three  times  a  day,  later  twice  a  day,  and  is  then  gradually 
changed  to  skim  milk  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  ten  days.     Fresh 


18  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

warm  skim  milk  is  fed  from  this  time  on  until  weaning  time,  at  four 
to  five  months  of  age.  The  time  of  changing  from  whole  milk  to  skim 
milk  varies  according  to  the  vigor  and  the  value  of  the  calves.  It  is 
aimed  to  bring  them  on  to  skim  milk  soon  after  two  weeks,  unless  some 
special  reason  renders  it  desirable  to  continue  the  feeding  of  whole 
milk  for  a  longer  period.  It  has  been  abundantly  proved,  both  by 
direct  experiments  and  by  the  experience  of  practical  dairy  farmers, 
that  as  thrifty  and  vigorous  calves  can  be  raised  on  skim  milk  with 
proper  supplementary  grain  feeds  as  on  whole  milk,  and  the  expense 
of  raising  the  calves  will  be  reduced  to  nearly  one-fourth  by  this 
method  of  feeding.  Direct  experiments  have  shown  that  the  feeding 
value  of  whole  milk  and  skim  milk  for  young  stock  stands  in  a  ratio 
of  about  2  to  1,  while  the  common  wholesale  or  creamery  prices  of  the 
two  products  are  about  8  to  1. 

At  the  time  the  calf  is  put  on  skim  milk  diet,  it  receives  a  small 
amount  of  a  grain  mixture  that  is  gradually  increased  from  less  than 
one-quarter  of  a  pound  daily  to  about  two  pounds  at  weaning  time. 
Bright,  fine  alfalfa  hay  or  grain  hay  is  also  kept  before  the  calves 
during  this  period,  as  well  as  clean  drinking  water  and  salt.  The 
grain  mixture  for  the  calves  is  changed  from  time  to  time,  according 
to  the  special  feeds  at  hand.  It  is  generally  composed  of  standard 
dairy  feeds  only,  like  barley,  oats,  wheat  middlings,  dried  beet  pulp, 
linseed  meal,  etc. 

CALF-FEEDING   TRIALS   AT   THE   UNIVERSITY   FARM 

The  following  statement  will  show  the  calf-feeding  trials  conducted 
during  the  past  two  years  at  the  University  Farm  and  reported  in  this 
bulletin,  with  character  of  grain  mixtures  fed,  length  of  trials,  etc. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  following  problems  have  been  studied  in 
these  trials :  The  value  of  linseed  meal  in  various  grain  mixtures  for 
skim-milk  calves ;  carob  pods  vs.  barley,  and  dried  beet  pulp  vs 
cocoanut  meal  as  components  of  grain  mixtures  for  such  calves. 

No.  of  calves 
included 
Trial  No.  on  trial  Grain   mixtures   fed  Length  of  trials 

I         16         Barley,     oats,    wheat    middlings, 

with  or  without  linseed  meal  Nov.  19,    '14-Jan.  28,    '15 
II         24         Milo   and  barley,  with   or  with- 
out linseed  meal   Feb.  4-April  22,  '15 

III  5         Barley,  shorts,  linseed  meal  May  27-Sept.  16,   '15 

IV  14   .      Carob   pods   and  milo   vs.   barley 

and  milo  Oct.  21,   '15-Jan.  20,   '16 

V         16         Dried  beet  pulp  and  barley  vs. 

cocoanut  meal  and  barley  Jan.  27-April  6,   '16 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


19 


Fig.  1. — Interior  of  calf  barn,  rear  view  of  stalls. 


Fig.  2. — Interior  of  calf  barn,  side  view  of  stalls. 


20  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

The  main  facts  relating  to  these  trials  are  briefly  stated  in  the 
following  pages,  with  important  results  obtained  and  discussions  of 
the  same. 

ANALYSES  OF  FEEDING  STUFFS 

Samples  of  the  feeds  used  in  the  trials  reported  in  this  bulletin, 
except  of  the  skim  milk  and  whole  milk,  were  forwarded  at  regular 
intervals  to  the  Nutrition  Laboratories  at  Berkeley  for  chemical 
analysis.  The  kind  co-operation  of  Professor  M.  E.  Jaffa,  Chief  of 
the  laboratories,  in  making  the  chemical  analyses  and  thus  aiding  in 
determining  the  feed  components  actually  consumed  by  the  calves,  is 
gratefully  acknowledged.  The  results  of  the  chemical  analyses  of  the 
feeding  stuffs  fed  in  this  and  following  calf  feeding  trials  are  given 
in  Table  I,  which  will  also  show  the  digestible  components  of  the 
various  feeds,  calculated  on  the  basis  of  the  best  available  digestion 
coefficients  for  the  feeds. 

PRICES   OF   FEEDS 

The  prices  at  which  the  various  feeds  used  in  the  different  trials 
are  calculated  are  given  in  the  following  table ;  they  are  in  most  cases 
average  San  Francisco  market  quotations  for  the  five  years,  1911-1915, 
inclusive. 

Per  ton  Cents 

Barley   (rolled  or.  ground) $29.50  1.5  per  lb. 

Oats    (ground) 34.00  1.7 

Wheat  middlings  29.50  1.5 

Linseed  meal  38.50  1.9 

Cocoanut  meal 27.00  1.3 

Dried  beet  pulp  24.00  1.2 

Alfalfa    hay    10.50  .5 

Milo  maize   1.5 

Carob   pods    1.5 

Skim    milk    25.0  per  cwt. 

Whole    milk    16.0  per  gal. 

TRIAL  I.  Linseed  Meal  as  a  Component  of  Grain  Mixtures 
FOR  Skim-Milk  Calves 
Whole  milk  is  the  ideal  feed  for  calves.  It  contains  all  the  elements 
necessary  for  sustenance  and  growth,  and  in  the  right  proportions 
to  secure  the  best  physiological  effects.  On  account  of  its  high  value 
as  a  human  food  it  can,  however,  be  fed  profitably  to  calves  and  other 
young  stock,  only  for  a  short  time,  and  these  are,  therefore,  ordinarily 
brought  over  to  a  skim-milk  diet  after  the  first  two  or  three  weeks. 
The  main  difference  between  the  two  kinds  of  milk  lies  in  their  fat 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


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FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  23 

content.  "Whole  milk  contains,  on  the  average,  3.5  per  cent  butter  fat, 
as  against  .1  per  cent  or  .2  per  cent  for  separator  skim  milk ;  the  latter 
is,  on  the  other  hand,  somewhat  higher  in  protein  and  in  ash,  and  is 
lower  in  milk  sugar  than  is  whole  milk.  As  a  result,  the  nutritive 
ratio  (proportion  of  digestible  protein  to  non-protein)  of  skim  milk 
is  considerably  narrower  that  that  of  whole  milk,  viz.,  1 :1.6  as  against 
1 :4.1.  Since  whole  milk  contains  the  essential  feed  components  in 
the  proportion  best  suited  to  the  needs  of  young  stock,  it  may  be 
concluded  that  it  will  not  be  safe  to  vary  greatly  from  this  proportion 
in  substituting  other  feeds  for  it,  and  that  a  nutritive  ratio  of  about 
1 :4  will  be  likely  to  prove  most  effective  in  feeding  this  class  of  farm 
animals. 

In  changing  from  whole  milk  to  skim  milk  for  feeding  young  stock 
it  is  necessary  to  furnish  some  additional  feed  or  feeds  that  will  supply 
the  deficiency  of  non-protein  substances  in  the  skim  milk,  viz.,  either 
fat,  or  feed  materials  of  similar  physiological  effects,  like  starch  or 
related  substances.  Feeds  of  this  character  available  to  California 
farmers  are :  cereal  grains,  especially  Indian  corn,  barley  and  oats ; 
sorghum  varieties  like  milo,  kafir,  Egyptian  corn,  feterita ;  mill  feeds 
like  wheat  bran  and  middlings,  rice  bran  (if  unadulterated),  rice 
polish,  and  other  factory  by-products  like  dried  plain  or  molasses  beet 
pulp  and  cocoanut  meal.  Considering  the  average  market  prices  for 
feeding  stuffs  in  this  state,  Indian  corn,  oats,  and  mill  feeds  are,  as  a 
rule,  too  expensive  in  comparison  with  the  other  feeds  named,  to  be 
included  in  grain  mixtures  for  skim-milk  calves. 

Practical  experience  has  shown  that  most  satisfactory  results 
may  be  secured  in  feeding  calves  by  supplementing  skim  milk  with 
low-protein  grain  feeds,  and  it  will  be  noted  from  the  foregoing,  that 
this  is  based  on  good  theoretical  grounds,  since  the  nutritive  ratios  of 
such  skim-milk  rations  will  approximate  that  of  whole  milk.  How- 
ever, mixtures  containing  medium-protein  and  even  high-protein  feeds, 
like  linseed  meal,  are  also  frequently  fed  by  dairy  farmers.  The 
regular  grain  mixtures  fed  to  calves  at  many  of  the  experiment 
stations  and  recommended  by  good  authorities  are  composed  of  cereal 
grains  with  certain  proportions  of  either  wheat  bran  or  middlings 
and  linseed  meal.  Most  of  the  grain  mixtures  recommended  contain 
from  one-sixth  to  one-eighth  of  oil  meal,  and  in  the  proportion  in 
which  these  mixtures  are  generally  fed  with  milk  and  hay,  the  rations 
contain  considerably  more  protein  and  have  narrower  nutritive  ratios 
than  whole  milk,  viz.,  on  the  average,  1 :2.5  or  1 :3.  In  view  of  the 
difference  between  this  ratio  and  that  of  whole  milk,  and  because  of 
the  important  bearing  of  the  question  on  general  feeding  practices 


24  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

on  the  dairy  farm,  it  is  of  interest  to  determine  whether  it  is  desirable 
to  limit  the  selection  of  feeds  for  calves  to  farm  grains  and  mill  feeds. 
The  experiment  reported  in  the  follow^ing  pages  was,  therefore,  con- 
ducted as  a  preliminary  study  of  calf-feeding  problems,  with  special 
reference  to  California  conditions. 

The  experiment  was  begun  November  19,  1914,  and  continued  for 
ten  weeks.  Sixteen  calves,  most  of  them  about  a  month  old  at  the 
beginning  of  the  experiment,  were  separated  into  two  lots  that  were  as 
uniform  as  possible  as  regards  previous  history,  age,  weight  and  breed- 
ing. There  were  seven  grade  Holstein  calves,  sired  by  pure-bred 
Holstein  bulls  in  each  lot,  and  in  addition  Lot  I  contained  a  pure- 
bred Holstein  bull  calf,  and  Lot  II  a  pure-bred  Guernsey  bull  calf. 
The  calves  in  Lot  I  were  fed  a  grain  mixture  consisting  of  two  parts 
each  of  ground  barley,  ground  oats  and  wheat  middlings,  and  one  part 
of  linseed  meal,  all  by  weight.  Those  of  Lot  II  received  the  same 
mixture  except  that  no  linseed  meal  was  given.  The  amount  of  grain 
fed  was  gradually  increased  from  one-fourth  or  one-half  pound  at  the 
beginning  of  the  trial,  to  one  to  two  pounds  at  the  close,  according 
to  the  size  and  appetite  of  the  individual  calf.  All  calves  had  been 
changed  to  skim  milk  before  the  experiment  commenced,  and  this 
was  fed  warm  from  the  separator  twice  a  day,  in  such  amounts  as 
they  seemed  able  to  consume  without  scouring,  ten  to  fourteen  pounds 
being  fed  daily  to  each  calf.  In  addition,  alfalfa  hay  was  supplied 
twice  daily,  as  much  as  they  would  clean  up ;  clean  fresh  drinking 
water  was  likewise  given  twice  a  day.  All  the  feed  eaten  by  the 
individual  calves  was  weighed  carefully,  except  the  hay  which  was 
weighed  out  for  each  lot ;  this  was  placed  in  racks  in  the  two  calf 
pens  and  the  amount  eaten  was  apportioned  equally  between  the 
calves  in  each  lot.  There  was  naturally  more  or  less  hay  wasted  by 
this  method  of  feeding,  and  the  amounts  credited  to  the  different 
calves  are,  therefore,  somewhat  in  excess  of  what  they  actually  ate,  but 
it  is  believed  that  no  serious  error  was  introduced  in  the  experimental 
results  by  the  method  of  feeding  adopted. 

The  calves  in  each  lot  were  kept  in  separate  pens,  and  were  fastened 
with  halter  straps  at  feeding  time.  They  were  fed  skim  milk  in  clean, 
steamed  pails,  and  the  grain  mixture  was  fed  in  the  mangers  directly 
after  the  skim  milk.  The  calves  were  left  loose  in  the  pens  the  rest 
of  the  time,  and  were  let  out  into  a  separate  corral  for  a  few  hours 
each  day,  except  in  rainy  weather.  They  were  weighed  for  three 
consecutive  days  at  the  beginning  and  at  the  close  of  the  experiment, 
and  regularly  once  a  week  during  its  progress,  so  that  the  changes  in 
body  weight  for  each  animal  were  followed  closely  from  week  to  week. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


25 


The  trial  proceeded  without  important  incidents  except  that  one 
of  the  calves  in  Lot  II  (Inez,  a  grade  Holstein)  often  did  not  take  all 
her  milk  or  grain  feed ;  the  gains  made  by  her  from  week  to  week  varied 
considerably  and  were  on  the  whole  rather  unsatisfactory,  viz.,  0.57 
pounds  per  day  on  the  average  for  the  whole  trial,  against  0.93  to  1.53 
pounds  for  the  other  calves  in  the  same  Lot,  and  0.86  to  1.47  pounds 
for  the  calves  in  Lot  II.  The  reason  why  this  calf  did  not  do  better, 
is  doubtless  to  be  sought  in  her  constitutional  weakness,  aggravated  by 


Fig.  3. — Calves  in  Lot  I,  Trials  I  and  II. 


Fig.  4.— Calves  in  Lot  II,  Trials  I  and  II. 


the  fact  that  she  was  changed  to  skim  milk  at  a  very  early  age  (when 
less  than  two  weeks  old)  and  perhaps  too  rapidly,  in  order  to  include 
her  in  the  trial.  Under  these  conditions  it  seems  fair  to  omit  the 
results  for  this  calf  from  the  summary  of  the  feed  eaten  and  gains 
made  by  this  lot.  Average  figures  including  data  for  her  are,  however, 
also  given  in  the  table  in  order  to  make  the  results  secured  for  all  the 
calves  available  to  those  interested.  The  following  summary  table 
shows  the  main  results  obtained  in  the  trial : 


Lot  II 
No  linseed   meal 
Av.  for            Including 
7  calves                 Inez 

36 

33 

124.4 

123.1 

1.21 

1.13 

.9 

.9 

11.8 

11.6 

2.5 

2.6 

4.1 

4.1 

3.98 

4.05 

.71 

.71 

2.16 

2.19 

3.0 

3.1 

3.29 

3.58 

3.29 

3.58 

5.6 

5.6 

5.0 

4.6 

26  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  OF  TRIAL  I 

Lot   I 
Linseed  meal 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  41 

Weight  at  beginning,  pounds  124.1 

Average  gain  per  head,  pounds  1.13 

Daily  rations  fed  per  head,  pounds: 

Grain    .9 

Skim  milk  11.6 

Alfalfa   hay   2.6 

Total  feed  units  in  rations  4.1 

Dry  matter  in  rations,  pounds  4.06 

Digestible   protein    .74 

Digestible  carbohydrates  and  fat  2.17 

Nutritive  ratio,  1:   2.9 

Dry  matter  per  pound  of  gain,  pounds  3.59 

Dry  matter  per  pound  gained,  pounds  3.59 

Cost  of  ration,  cents  5.7 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain,  cents  5.0 

It  will  be  seen  tliat  the  average  rations  fed  the  calves  on  this  trial 
consisted  of  nine-tenths  of  a  pound  of  grain,  11.7  pounds  of  milk  and 
about  2.5  pounds  of  alfalfa  hay.  The  rations  were  gradually  increased 
as  the  calves  grew  older.  At  the  beginning  of  the  trial  these  received 
from  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  a  pound  of  the  grain  mixture  per 
head  daily,  and  10  to  14  pounds  of  skim  milk.  The  amounts  of  hay 
eaten  by  the  individual  calves  could  not,  as  already  stated,  be  de- 
termined under  the  conditions  of  this  trial.  At  the  end  of  the  trial 
the  calves  each  received  from  1  to  2  pounds  of  grain  and  from  10  to  14 
pounds  of  skim  milk  daily,  the  average  amount  of  hay  eaten  being 
3.3  pounds,  against  1.5  pounds  at  the  beginning  of  the  trial. 

The  variations  in  the  average  weekly  gains  in  body  weight  by  the 
calves  in  the  two  lots  may  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  diagram. 
It  will  be  noted  from  the  curves  for  both  lots  that  the  gains  in  weight 
varied  considerably  from  week  to  week,  and  that  the  calves  in  Lot  II 
of  this  trial,  on  the  average,  made  no  gain  whatever  one  week.  This 
also  happened  once  during  the  second  trial;  in  this  case  likewise  in 
the  case  of  the  lot  receiving  grain  without  linseed  meal. 

The  results  obtained  in  this  trial  indicate  that  no  advantage  was 
gained  by  including  linseed  meal  in  the  grain  mixture  of  the  calves, 
in  so  far  as  the  increase  in  body  weight  or  the  cost  per  pound  of  gain 
is  concerned.     There  was  a  decrease  of  nearly  10  per  cent  in  the 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  27 

amount  of  dry  matter  eaten  per  pound  of  gain  made  by  Lot  II,  as 
compared  with  Lot  I,  and  it  was  noticeable  that  the  calves  in  the  latter 
lot  ahvays  ate  their  grain  ration  with  relish,  while  the  appetites  of 
several  calves  in  Lot  II  were  at  times  somewhat  uncertain.  The  calves 
in  this  lot  did  not,  on  the  whole,  appear  to  relish  their  grain  as  did  the 
calves  receiving  the  mixture  containing  linseed  meal.  These  also 
appeared  to  have  a  somewhat  smoother  and  more  pliable  skin,  and  a 
more  thrifty  appearance  in  general,  but  the  difference  was  not  marked. 
The  calves  in  Lot  II  were  in  excellent  condition  with  the  exception  of 
Inez,  and  made  satisfactory  gains  throughout  the  trial.  "Whatever 
advantage  was  derived  from  including  linseed  meal  in  the  grain 
mixture  was,  therefore,  slight  and  the  results  do  not  lead  to  definite 
conclusions  as  to  the  desirability  of  making  linseed  meal  a  component 
part  of  the  grain  mixture  for  skim  milk  calves. 

TRIAL  II.  Linseed  Meal  With  Milo  and  Barley  for 
Skim -Milk  Calves 
In  view  of  the  results  obtained  in  the  preceding  trial,  it  was 
decided  to  conduct  another  trial  along  the  same  line  w^ith  a  different 
calf  feed  mixture,  viz,  ground  barley  and  ground  milo,  with  or  with- 
out linseed  meal.  These  feeds  were  mixed  in  the  proportion  of  3  :2  :1 
by  weight,  for  milo,  barley  and  linseed  meal  (Lot  I),  and  3:1  for 
milo  and  barley  (Lot  II).  Skim  milk  and  alfalfa  hay  were  fed  in 
similar  amounts  and  manner  as  in  the  first  trial,  and  the  conditions 
under  which  this  and  subsequent  trials  were  conducted  were  in  general 
similar,  so  that  further  details  describing  these  trials  will  not  be 
necessary.  The  trial  was  conducted  with  the  same  sixteen  calves  as 
in  the  first  trial,  and  in  addition,  a  third  lot  of  8  younger  calves,  one 
to  two  months  old  at  the  beginning  of  the  trial  was  included,  and  was 
fed  the  'same  grain  mixture  as  Lot  II,  receiving  no  linseed  meal. 
Of  the  calves  in  Lot  III,  5  were  pure-bred  Holstein  males,  1  pure- 
bred Holstein  female,  1  female  Guernsey  grade,  and  1  cross-bred  male 
with  considerable  Angus  blood.  The  trial  was  commenced  February 
4th  and  continued  for  77  days,  until  April  22nd;  Lot  III  was  con- 
tinued on  the  same  system  of  feeding  for  another  49  days,  until  June 
4th.  Of  the  calves  in  Lot  II,  Inez  again  showed  considerable  variation, 
in  appetite  and  the  way  she  responded  to  the  feeding.  She  gained 
on  the  average  .97  pound  per  day  during  the  trial,  against  gains  of 
1.72  pounds  to  2.37  pounds  for  the  other  calves  in  the  lot,  and  of  1.84 
pounds  of  2.32  pounds  for  the  calves  in  Lot  I.  It  is  believed,  therefore, 
that  comparison  between  the  two  lots,  and  a  study  of  the  effects  of 


28  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

the  two  systems  of  feeding  used,  should  be  made  after  excluding  her 
as  before.  Data  are,  however,  also  given  for  the  entire  lot  of  calves 
including  Inez. 

The  feeding  and  care  of  the  calves  included  in  this  trial  were 


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Fig.  5. — Chart  showing  weekly  gains  by  calves  in  Trials  I  and  II,  fed  grain 
mixtures  with  or  without  linseed  meal. 

entrusted  to  two  senior  students  in  the  College  of  Agriculture,  Messrs. 
W.  B.  Hubbard  and  Carl  J.  Williams,  who  did  this  work  in  a  con- 
scientious and  very  efficient  manner,  as  a  part  of  their  thesis  require- 
ments for  a  baccalaureate  degree.  The  following  table  gives  the  main 
facts  of  the  trial. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  29 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  OF   TRIAL  II 

Lot  II 

(No  linseed  meal)  Lot  III 

Lot  I  Without                            (No  linseed 

(Linseed  meal)        Inez  With  Inez      meal) 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  101  95  92  42 

Weight  at  beginning,  pounds  200.6  207.3  200.0  126.5 

Average  gain  per  day,  pounds  2.0  2.03  1.90  1.45 

Daily  rations  fed  per  head,  pounds: 

Grain    2.0  2.0  1.9  .8 

Skim  milk   11.6  11.4  11.3  11.8 

Alfalfa  hay  5.5  5.5  5.5  2.8 

Total  feed  units  in  rations  6.7  6.7  6.6  4.1 

Dry  matter  in  rations,  pounds  '...         7.45  7.41  7.32  4.15 

Digestible  protein,  pounds  1.13  1.04  1.02  .72 

Digestible  carbohydrates  and  fat,  pounds         3.93  3.98  3.90  2.21 

Nutritive  ratio,  1: 3.5  3.8  3.8  3.1 

Dry  matter  per  pound  of  gain,  pounds  ....         3.73  3.65  3.85  2.86 

Cost  of  rations,  cents  8.8  8.6  8.5  5.6 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain,  cents  4.4  4.2  4.5  3.8 


The  results  of  this  trial  point  in  the  same  direction  as  those  of  the 
preceding  one.  There  is  no  appreciable  difference  in  the  average  data 
for  Lots  I  and  II,  as  regards  the  daily  gains  made  by  the  calves  or 
the  amounts  of  feed  eaten;  slightly  more  dry  matter  was  consumed 
per  pound  of  gain  by  Lot  I  than  by  Lot  II,  and  the  cost  of  the  rations 
fed  as  well  as  the  gains  made  were  somewhat  higher  for  Lot  I.  It  is, 
however,  safe  to  conclude  from  the  results  obtained  in  both  trials,  that 
linseed  meal  is  not  a  necessary  component  of  rations  for  skim-milk 
calves  and  does  not  produce  better  gains  than  similar  grain  rations  with 
linseed  meal  left  out.  It  does  tend,  however,  to  make  a  grain  mixture 
more  palatable  to  the  calves  and  improves  the  appearance  and  handling 
quality  of  the  calves  to  some  extent.  Slightly  larger  gains  were  made 
by  the  lots  in  both  trials  that  received  a  grain  mixture  without  linseed 
meal,  but  the  difference  is  too  small  to  be  of  any  importance  in  either 
case,  being  within  the  limits  of  experimental  errors  in  trials  of  this 
kind. 

RESIDUAL  EFFECT  OF  RATIONS 

In  order  to  determine  whether  the  feeding  of  linseed  meal  produced 
any  residual  effect,  tending  to  make  the  calves  stronger  and  thriftier, 
so  that  they  would  make  better  gains  during  the  period  following  the 
trials  than  when  no  oil  meal  was  fed,  they  were  weighed  once  a  month 
while  on  pasture  after  the  trial  was  discontinued,  for  a  period  of  160 
days.     None  of  the  calves  received  any  extra  feed  during  this  time. 


30  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

The  average  daily  gains  of  the  two  lots  during  this  period  were  as 
follows : 

Lot  1    (linseed  meal)   1.60  pounds, 

Lot  II  (no  linseed  meal)  1.59  pounds. 

Here  again  no  appreciable  difference  was  found  in  the  gains  made 
by  the  two  lots ;  we  may  conclude,  therefore,  that  whatever  advantage 
may  be  derived  from  including  linseed  meal  in  the  grain  ration  for 
dairy  calves  fed  skim  milk  and  alfalfa  hay,  will  come  from  increasing 
somewhat  the  palatability  of  the  feed  to  the  calves  and  improving 
slightly  the  appearance  of  the  latter,  and  not  from  any  superior 
nutritive  effect  of  such  rations.  It  is  not  necessary,  therefore,  to 
make  this  usually  high-priced  feed  a  part  of  the  grain  ration  for  thrifty 
calves  that  have  been  successfulh^  brought  over  to  a  skim-milk  diet. 


NUTRITIVE   RATIOS  OF  RATIONS  FED 

The  nutritive  ratios  of  the  rations  in  which  linseed  meal  made  up 
a  part  of  the  grain  mixture  for  the  calves,  were  somewhat  narrower 
than  those  of-  the  corresponding  rations  without  linseed  meal ;  the 
differences  were  not  marked  in  any  case  (1 :2.9-3.5,  against  1 :3.0-3.8), 
but  since  the  nutritive  ratios  of  the  latter  rations  were  always  below 
1 :4,  it  is  evident  that  no  special  advantage  could  be  expected  from  a 
physiological  point  of  view,  from  including  linseed  meal  in  the  grain 
mixture  of  the  calves.  Skim  milk  and  alfalfa  hay  are  both  high  in 
protein  (nutritive  ratio,  1:1.6  and  1:3.8,  respectively),  and  it  is 
not  likely,  therefore,  that  sufficient  amounts  of  carbonaceous  grain 
feeds  could  be  fed  to  render  it  advisable  to  include  linseed  meal 
in  the  grain  mixture  in  order  to  bring  the  nutritive  ratio  of  the  rations 
down  to  below  1 :4.  The  sole  justification  for  including  linseed  meal 
in  calf  mixtures  w^ll,  therefore,  be  found  in  the  improvement  in 
palatability  and  dietetic  effect  that  this  feed  may  bring  about.  Since 
the  market  price  of  linseed  meal  in  this  state  is,  as  a  general  rule, 
30  to  40  per  cent  higher  than  that  of  barley  and  other  grain  feeds, 
rations  containing  linseed  meal  are  more  expensive  than  those  with- 
out it,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  the  small  benefits  that  may  be 
derived  from  including  this  feed  are  of  sufficient  importance  to 
warrant  its  use,  except  in  the  case  of  less  thrifty  calves  that  may  need 
extra  care  and  attention. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  31 

TRIAL  III.     Barley,  Shorts  and  Linseed  Meal  for 
Dairy  Calves 

The  trial  was  conducted  with  five  calves  during  the  period  May 
27  to  September  16,  1915,  the  object  in  view  being  to  secure  definite 
information  as  to  the  gains  that  may  be  secured  by  heavy  feeding 
of  skim-milk  calves.  The  calves  were  about  two  months  old  at  the 
beginning  of  the  trial  and  had  been  changed  from  whole  milk  to  skim 
milk  shortly  before  the  beginning  of  the  trial ;  three  were  pure-bred 
Holsteins,  one  grade  Holstein,  and  a  Guernsey-Shorthorn  grade,  there 
being  one  male  and  four  females  in  the  lot. 

Ground  barley,  wheat  shorts,  and  linseed  meal,  in  the  proportions 
of  3  :2  :1  by  weight,  were  fed  in  addition  to  alfalfa  hay  and  skim  milk. 
The  daily  gains  made  by  the  different  calves  during  the  112  days  of 
the  trial  ranged  from  2.09  pounds  to  2.71  pounds,  the  average  being 
2.48  pounds  per  head.  This  is  a  most  satisfactory  increase  in  body 
weight  for  young  dairy  calves.  The  main  results  obtained  in  the  trial 
are  shown  in  the  following  table : 

SUMMAEY  OF  EESULTS  OF  TRIAL  III 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  69 

Weight  at  beginning,  pounds   172.8 

Average  gain  per  day,  pounds  2.48 

Daily  rations  fed  per  head,  pounds: 

Grain    2.0 

Skim    milk    14.3 

Alfalfa  hay  7.3 

Total  feed  units  7.7 

Dry  matter  in  ration,  pounds  9.47 

Digestible  protein,  pounds  1.38 

Digestible  carbohydrates  and  fat,  pounds   4.93 

Nutritive  ratio  1:3.6 

Dry  matter  per  pound  of  gain,  pounds 3.82 

Cost  of  ration,  cents  10.4 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain,  cents  4.2 

While  the  cost  of  the  ration  was  relatively  high,  owing  to  the  large 
amounts  of  feed  eaten,  the  cost  per  pound  of  gain  in  body  weight 
was  lower  than  for  most  of  the  lots  fed  in  the  preceding  trials.  The 
results  of  the  trial  suggest  that  skim-milk  calves  can  readily  be 
brought  up  to  a  weight  of  over  450  pounds  at  an  age  of  six  months 
on  a  ration  of  skim  milk,  alfalfa  hay,  and  a  suitable  grain  mixture, 
at  a  feed  cost  of  but  little  over  four  cents  per  pound  of  gain  in  body 
weight,  from  the  time  they  are  put  on  skim  milk. 

Many  dairy  farmers  consider  it  the  best  practice  to  feed  their 


32  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

young  stock  heavily  as  in  this  experiment,  and  thus  raise  especially 
large  and  thrifty  calves.  There  is  considerable  evidence  showing 
that  calves  of  good  breeding  fed  in  this  way  Avill  develop  into  very 
satisfactory  dairy  cows,  with  a  strong  constitution  and  a  capacity  for 
large  dairy  production.  Under  this  system  of  heavy  feeding  the  dairy 
calves  must  be  fed  rations  rather  high  in  protein  substances,  like 
those  given  in  this  bulletin,  which  will  produce  a  strong  frame  with 
a  good  development  of  body  tissue  without  deposition  of  excessive 
fat.  We  have  seen  that  with  skim  milk  and  alfalfa  hay  there  is  no 
danger  that  the  rations  fed  will  not  contain  an  abundance  of  protein. 

TRIAL  IV.     Carob  Pods  vs.  Barley  for  Skim-Milk  Calves 

At  the  request  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Beers,  Horticultural  Commissioner  of 
Santa  Barbara  County,  a  feeding  experiment  with  carob  pods  for 
calves  was  conducted  during  the  past  fall  and  winter.  These  pods 
are  obtained  from  the  carob  tree  {Ceratonia  Siliqua),  an  evergreen 
tree  growing  in  pastures  and  waste  places  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state.  It  is  commonly  grown  in  the  coastal  regions  of  southern 
Europe  and  on  many  islands  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  the  pods 
are  highly  prized  in  these  countries  as  a  feed  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep 
and  swine.  They  are  also  used  as  a  human  food,  somewhat  like  sugar 
cane  in  the  south,  or  for  cooking,  ground  with  cereal  grains.  Their 
value  for  feeding  purposes  depends  on  the  high  content  of  sugar  and 
starch  in  the  pods.  The  high  sugar  content  in  the  pods,  which  in 
some  varieties  and  seasons  reaches  40  to  50  per  cent  of  sucrose  and 
reducing  sugars,  renders  them  especially  palatable  to  young  stock. 
According  to  Pott,^  "the  crushed  carob  pods  are  frequently  used  in 
England  for  fattening  sheep,  and  for  ewes  with  lambs,  also  in  con- 
nection with  other  concentrates  for  fattening  steers.  It  is  used  in 
France  as  a  feed  for  milch  cows  and  young  stock,  and  in  southern 
Italy  and  other  countries  as  a  concentrate  for  horses  and  for  growing 
pigs.  British  horses  are  at  times  fed  as  much  as  3  kilos  (6.6  pounds) 
per  head,  of  carobs  daily,  either  cooked  and  mixed  with  cut  straw,  or 
raw.  Fattening  steers  are  also  fed  preferably  cooked  carobs  towards 
the  end  of  the  fattening  period.  For  horses  it  is  not  even  necessary  to 
crush  the  pods.  In  southern  Italy  nobody  would  think  of  doing  it, 
although  the  strong  pony-like  horses  do  not  receive  any  other  con- 
centrates, and  are  fed  only  hay  or  green  feed  in  addition."^ 


1  Futtermittellehre,  Vol.  II,  part  I,  p.  453  to  455. 

2  For  a  discussion  of  the  Carob  and  its  adaptability  to  conditions  in  this 
State,  see  address  by  C.  W.  Beers  before  the  44th  Fruit  Growers'  Convention 
at  Davis,  California,  ^Tune  1914,  in  California  Farm  and  Home,  July  19,  1914. 
Chemical  analysis  in  Cal.  Exp.  Sta.,  Rept.  1903-4.  p.  49. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  33 

The  carob  tree  grows  well  in  this  state  especially  in  the  southern 
coastal  counties,  and  may  be  planted  in  stony  and  other  waste  places. 
It  is  reported  to  yield  300  to  500  pounds  of  pods  per  tree  when  full 
grown.  In  view  of  the  favorable  reports  on  the  pods  from  foreign 
countries,  it  appeared  desirable  to  secure  accurate  information  as  to 
their  value  for  stock  feeding  under  California  conditions.  It  was 
thought  that  the  pods  might  be  found  especially  useful  as  a  constitutent 
of  calf  meals  and  a  trial  was,  therefore,  planned  with  a  view  to 
obtaining  definite  data  on  this  point,  especially  as  to  their  value  when 
mixed  with  ground  milo  in  comparison  with  ground  barley  and  milo, 
both  of  which  are  standard  grain  crops  in  this  state  and  may  be  raised 
on  most  of  our  ranches. 

Fourteen  calves  separated  into  two  lots  of  eight  and  six  each, 
were  included  in  the  trial ;  seven  of  these  were  from  one  to  two  months 
old,  and  seven  only  about  a  week  old  at  the  beginning  of  the  trial.  The 
former  were  pure-bred  Jerseys,  Guernseys,  Ayrshire  and  Holstein 
calves  of  our  own  breeding,  three  males  and  four  females,  while  the 
latter  w^ere  high-grade  Holstein  female  calves  bought  for  this  trial. 
The  older  calves  were  changed  gradually  from  whole  milk  to  skim 
milk  during  the  second  and  third  week  of  the  trial,  and  the  young  ones 
during  the  fifth  and  sixth  week.  The  trial  was  continued  for  13 
weeks,  October  21,  1915,  to  January  20,  1916.  The  two  lots  were 
fed  as  follows: 

Lot  I,  Carob  pods  and  ground  milo,  1:1  by  weight, 

Lot  II,  Ground  barley  and  ground  milo,  fed  in  the  same  proportion. 


The  calves  received  from  less  than  %  to  three  pounds  of  the  grain 
mixture  per  head  daily,  according  to  age  and  capacity ;  and  in  addition 
14  to  25  pounds  of  milk  and  alfalfa  hay  ad  libitum  (2.3  to  6.1  pounds 
per  head  daily). 

Some  difficulty  was  experienced  at  first  in  preparing  the  pods  for 
feeding;  efforts  to  grind  them  in  an  ordinary  feed  mill  were  unsuc- 
cessful, as  the  gummy  substances  in  the  pods  soon  clogged  the  plates, 
whether  the  pods  were  run  through  alone  or  mixed  with  milo.  It 
was  found,  however,  that  the  ordinary  machinery  used  in  rolling  barley 
or  oats  would  crush  the  pods  so  that  they  could  be  readily  eaten  by 
stock.  The  pods  were  flattened  and  broken  into  pieces  of  varying  sizes 
by  this  method  of  preparation,  and  fair  proportions  of  the  hard  beans 
were  also  crushed  or  flattened  in  the  process  of  rolling.  The  pods  thus 
prepared  were  mixed  in  equal  proportions  by  weight  with  ground 


34  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT  STATION 

milo  and  fed  to  Lot  I.  The  calves  relished  the  pods  greatly,  and  as 
a  rule,  ate  them  before  the  milo.  The  main  results  of  the  trial  are 
summarized  below: 

SUMMAEY  OF  EESULTS  OF  TEIAL  IV 

Lot  I  Lot  II 

Carob  and  Milo  Barley   and  Milo 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  28  30 

Average  weight  per  head,  pounds  131.8  116,7 

Average  gains  in  body  weight  per  day, 

pounds 1.81  1.70 

Average  ranges  in  daily  gains,  pounds         1.67-2.03  1.32-2,09 
Daily  rations  fed  per  head,  pounds: 

Grain  .8  .7 

Whole  milk   5.0  4.5 

Skim   milk   14.2  13.3 

Alfalfa  hay  2.6  2.6 

Average  rations  contained,  pounds: 

Dry  matter   4.86  4.62 

Digestible  protein   .92  .89 

Digestible  carbohydrate  and  fat  ....         2.93  2.75 

Nutritive  ratio,  1:  3.2  3.1 

Total  feed  units  in  ration  6.2  5.7 

Dry  matter  per  pound  of  gain,  pounds         2.69  2.72 

Cost  of  rations,  cents  16.1  14.8 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain,  cents  8.9  8.7 


While  the  composition  of  the  average  rations  fed  to  the  two  lots 
varied  somewhat,  it  is  evident  from  the  results  obtained  that  the  carob- 
milo  mixture  had  at  least  a  similar  feeding  value  to  the  barley-milo 
mixture.  The  lot  fed  the  former  mixture  gained  an  average  of  1.81 
pounds  per  head  daily  during  the  trial,  against  1,70  pounds  for  the 
the  barley-milo  mixture.  The  average  gain  in  the  body  weight  for 
the  older  calves  (50  days  old  at  the  beginning  of  the  trial)  was  for 
Lot  I,  1,90  pounds,  and  for  Lot  II,  1,74  pounds;  for  the  younger  calves 
(7  days  old  at  the  beginning  of  the  trial),  Lot  I,  1.72  pounds,  Lot 
II,  1.65  pounds.  The  cost  of  the  rations  fed  and  the  average  feed  cost 
per  pound  of  gain  were  higher  than  in  the  preceding  trials,  for  the 
reason  that  considerable  whole  milk  was  fed  during  the  first  half 
of  the  feeding  period,  the  calves  included  on  the  trial  being  younger 
than  in  the  earlier  ones.  If  only  the  second  half  of  the  trial  be  con- 
sidered, when  the  ration  fed  consisted  of  grain,  hay  and  skim  milk, 
the  results  would  come  as  follows : 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 

Lot  I  Lot  II 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  64  66 

Average  body  weight  at  beginning,  pounds  -..     191.2  169.8 

Grain  per  head,  pounds  1.87  1.79 

Eations  fed,  pounds: 

Grain  1.1  .9 

Skim  milk  19.6  18.4 

Hay  3.8  3.8 

Cost  of  rations,  cents  8.5  7.9 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain,  cents  4.5  4.4 


35 


"[21AL  1^  . 


/ 

/ 

, 

-V 

Fig.   6. — Chart  showing  weekly  gains  by  calves  in   Trials   III  and  IV,  fed 
grain  and  linseed  meal,  and  carob  pods  and  milo  vs.  barley  and  milo,  respectively. 


36  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT  STATION 

Whether  the  data  for  the  entire  feeding  period  are  considered 
or  only  those  for  the  latter  half,  when  no  whole  milk  was  fed,  the 
same  conclusion  may  be  drawn  from  the  results,  viz.,  that  the  nutritive 
effect  of  the  carob-milo  mixture  was  fully  equal  to  that  of  the  barley- 
milo  mixture,  or  the  carob  pods  may  be  considered  of  similar  value 
to  barley,  at  least  as  a  feed  for  calves. 

There  is  no  marked  difference  in  the  chemical  composition  of 
these  two  feeds,  as  will  be  noted  from  the  analysis  given  on  pp.  23-24 
of  this  bulletin.  The  digestibility  of  carob  pods  has  been  determined 
in  four  trials  (with  two  different  samples)  ;  the  average  digestion 
coefficients  obtained  show  a  relatively  low  digestibility  of  the  protein 
substances  (34  per  cent),  and  a  medium  digestibility  of  the  fat  (56  per 
cent).  Eighty-six  per  cent  of  the  nitrogen  free-extract  (sugar,  starch, 
etc.)  were,  however,  found  to  be  digestible,  and  since  these  substances 
make  up  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  weight  of  the  pods,  the  nutritive 
effect  of  these  will  depend  almost  wholly  on  their  contents  of  digestible 
carbohydrates.  The  average  digestible  components  in  the  carob  pods 
are:  protein  2.4  per  cent,  carbohydrates  and  fat  66.5.  per  cent  (nutri- 
tive ratio,  1 :  27.7 ;  see  page  24)  ;  while  the  corresponding  figures  for 
the  barley  fed  in  the  trial  were  8  per  cent  and  68.9  per  cent  (nutritive 
ratio,  1 :8.6  per  cent).  It  would  appear  from  the  results  of  this  trial 
that  the  digestibility  and  the  nutritive  effect  of  the  carob  pods  are 
somewhat  higher  than  are  indicated  by  the  available  average  data 
for  this  crop. 

The  results  of  the  trial  described  in  the  preceding  pages  indicate 
that  carob  pods  make  a  very  valuable  component  of  a  grain  mixture 
for  skim-milk  calves,  and  to  this  extent  at  least  they  corroborate 
European  feeding  experience  with  this  feed.  If  the  carob  tree  will 
thrive  in  certain  sections  of  the  state,  like  the  central  and  southern 
coastal  counties,  as  appears  to  be  the  case,  then  farmers  in  this  region 
may  well  plant  the  tree  on  non-arable  land,  in  pastures,  hill-sides  and 
stony  places,  etc.,  and  thus  in  time  be  able  to  secure  a  regular  supply 
of  a  highly  palatable  and  valuable  feed  for  their  stock,  without  further 
effort  and  expense  than  the  harvesting  of  the  fruit. 

TRIAL  V.     A  Comparison  of  Dried  Beet  Pulp  and 

CocoANUT  Meal  for  Dairy  Calves 

Both  dried  beet  pulp  and  cocoanut  meal  are  common  dairy  feeds 
in  this  state.  They  are  generally  fed  to  dairy  cows  and  fattening 
steers,  and  in  the  case  of  cocoanut  meal,  at  times  to  pigs  and  horses ; 
but  little  is  known  in  regard  to  their  value  for  feeding  dairy  calves. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


37 


^H^k^P  ••! 


Fig.  7.— Calves  in  Trial  V,  Lot  I,  at  the  close  of  experiment. 


38  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

and  an  experiment  intended  to  furnish  information  on  this  point  was 
accordingly  planned.  The  fourteen  calves  in  the  preceding  trial 
were  continued  on  this  one,  a  week's  intermediate  feeding  being 
introduced  in  order  to  accustom  them  to  the  ration  to  be  fed  in  this 
trial.  The  grouping  of  the  calves  into  two  lots  was  changed  from  that 
of  the  preceding  trial  so  as  to  guard  against  any  residual  effect  of 
the  previous  system  of  feeding  on  the  results  of  the  trial.  Lot  I  was 
fed  two  parts  rolled  barley  and  one  part  dried  beet  pulp,  while  Lot 
II  received  two  parts  rolled  barley  and  one  part  cocoanut  meal,  in 
both  cases  by  weight.  All  calves  were  fed  separator  skim  milk  and 
alfalfa  hay,  in  addition  to  the  grain  mixtures,  until  February  24 
to  March  9,  when  six  of  the  older  calves,  three  in  each  lot,  were 
gradually  weaned,  and  these  received  only  dry  feed  after  March  9. 

The  calves  ranged  in  age  from  93  to  171  days  at  the  beginning  of 
the  trial,  the  average  age  of  those  in  Lot  I  being  122  days  and  those  in 
Lot  II  123  days.  This  trial  was  arranged  for  as  thesis  work  for  two 
senior  agricultural  students,  Messrs.  C.  V.  Castle  and  W.  F.  Elder, 
who  had  charge  of  the  feeding  and  care  of  the  calves  during  the  experi- 
mental period.  Much  credit  is  due  to  these  students  for  the  careful 
and  conscientious  manner  in  which  their  work  was  done.  The  most 
important  data  obtained  in  connection  with  the  trial  are  shown  in 
the  following  statement. 

SUMMARY   OF   RESULTS   OF   TRIAL  V 

Lot  I  Lot  II 

Beet  pulp  Cocoanut  meal 

and  barley  and  barley 

Average  age  at  beginning,  days  122  123 

Average  weight  per  head,  pounds  287.1  280.9 

Average  gains  in  body  weight  per  day,  pounds  2.08  1.84 

Average  ranges  in  gain,  pounds  1.50-2.41  1.54-2.00 

Daily  rations  fed  per  head,  pounds: 

Grain  2.3  2.2 

Skim  milk  14.4  13.7 

Alfalfa  hay*  10.1  9.7 

Average  ration  contained,  pounds: 

Dry  matter 11.77  11.28 

Digestible  protein  1.55  1.58 

Digestible  carbohydrates   and  fat   6.39  6.10 

Nutritive  ratio,  1:   4.1  3.9 

Total  feed  units  in  ration  9.7  9.3 

Dry  matter  per  pound  of  gain,  pounds  5.66  6.13 

Cost  of  ration,  cents  12.1  11.6 

Feed  cost  per  pound  of  gain  5.8  6.3 

*  No  allowance  made  for  waste  in  feeding  hay. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA 


39 


•r-ift^yKVim 


^fm^m^&  |iii|i  ■MB 


Fig    8. — Calves  in  Trial  V,  Lot  II,   at  close  of   experiment. 


40  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

In  this,  as  in  the  other  trials  reported  in  the  preceding  pages,  no 
allowance  was  made  for  waste  in  feeding  the  hay  in  racks  in  the  calf 
pens.  This  waste  was  apparently  of  greater  importance  in  the*  case 
of  the  older  calves  on  this  trial  than  in  the  earlier  ones.  Under  the  con- 
ditions stated  the  amounts  of  hay  given  and  the  composition  of  the 
rations  fed  are  mainly  of  value  for  comparison  of  the  results  obtained 
with  the  two  lots ;  the  figures  given  cannot  be  taken  to  represent  the 
exact  amounts  of  hay  or  of  digestible  components  in  the  rations  actu- 
ally eaten  by  the  calves. 

The  calves  included  in  the  trial  gained,  on  the  average,  as  follows 
in  body  weight:  Lot  I  (dried  beet  pulp  and  barley)  2.08  pounds  per 

TCiAL  jy: 


-   fS  - 

V  ■ 

te  1^ 

-:k\ 

^ 

a  -i-      V 

o.      -     , 

ft  + 

^   1 

^•,'/-pA'3j::    h 

ft^p-^-- 

A\ 

/ '   \                     /  . 

/  /      \\                 /  / 

^,           // 

\/- 


s- i 

ft ;' 


Fig.  9. — Chart  showing  weekly  gains  by  calves  in  Trial  V,  fed  beet  pulp  and 
barley  vs.  eocoanut  meal  and  barley. 

head  daily  and  Lot  II  (eocoanut  meal  and  barley)  1.84  pounds.  Only 
one  of  the  calves  in  the  former  lot  gained  less  than  two  pounds  daily, 
on  the  average  for  the  70  days  of  the  trial,  while  six  of  those  in  Lot  II 
gained  less  than  two  pounds.  The  average  amounts  of  feed  eaten  by 
the  calves  in  the  two  lots  did  not  differ  materially.  It  is  evident, 
therefore,  that  the  nutritive  effect  of  the  beet  pulp-barley  mixture 
fed  with  skim  milk  and  alfalfa  hay  was  somewhat  (viz.,  about  10  per 
cent)  higher  than  that  of  the  eocoanut  meal  fed  in  similar  amounts 
and  combinations.  The  results  of  the  trial  indicate  that  both  these 
concentrates  fed,  as  stated,  to  dairy  calves,  will  produce  satisfactory 
gains  in  body  weight.     Both  rations  proved  palatable  to  the  calves. 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  41 

The  cocoanut  meal  had  a  tendency  to  cause  scouring  in  the  case  of 
some  of  the  calves;  it  is  also,  as  a  general  rule,  somewhat  higher  in 
price  in  this  state  than  dried  beet  pulp ;  as  it  moreover  did  not  produce 
as  good  gains  as  the  latter  feed,  there  is  no  reason  for  feeding  it 
to  skim  milk  calves  in  preference  to  dried  beet  pulp  or  other  equally 
satisfactory  grain  feeds  that  can  be  obtained  at  a  similar  or  lower 
cost. 

As  beet  pulp  and  cocoanut  meal  are  ordinarily  two  of  the  cheapest 
dairy  feeds  available  to  our  farmers,  and  as  both  produce  very  satis- 
factory results  in  this  trial,  either  may,  however,  be  recommended  for 
feeding  dairy  calves  whenever  it  seems  desirable  to  give  variety  to 
the  grain  mixture  fed.  The  grain  feed  used  in  this  trial  (two  parts 
of  barley  to  one  of  either  of  the  concentrates  mentioned)  may  be  fed 
when  barley  is  relatively  cheaper  than  the  two  other  feeds ;  otherwise 
a  proportion  of  equal  weights  of  barley  and  beet  pulp,  or  better  still, 
a  mixture  of  barley,  beet  pulp  and  cocoanut  meal  in  the  proportions 
2 :1 :1  may  be  fed.  This  will  make  an  excellent  grain  ration,  especially 
for  older  skim-milk  calves,  it  being  both  palatable  and  cheap  at 
ordinary  feed  prices  in  this  state. 


GENEEAL   DISCUSSION  OF  FEEDING   DAIRY   CALVES 

The  results  of  the  ^yq  feeding  trials  with  dairy  calves  reported 
in  the  preceding  pages  show  that  vigorous,  thrifty  calves,  of  very 
satisfactory  body  weights,  can  be  readily  raised  on  separator  skim 
milk,  grain  feeds  and  hay.  It  is,  as  a  rule,  only  necessary  to  feed 
whole  milk  during  the  first  two  weeks  of  the  calf's  life,  and  the 
expense  of  raising  the  calf  may  thus  be  kept  down  to  a  minimum. 
The  young  calf  should  receive  10  to  20  pounds  of  milk  daily,  according 
to  size  and  thriftiness,  and  a  small  amount  of  a  grain  mixture  is  fed 
from  the  time  it  is  brought  over  onto  skim  milk,  viz.,  less  than  14 
pound  daily  for  calves  only  a  couple  of  weeks  old,  to  2  or  3  pounds 
toward  weaning  time  at  four  to  five  months  old.  The  grain  mixture 
should  consist  of  starchy  concentrates  or  of  such  as  are  low  in  protein, 
like  rolled  barley,  oats,  wheat  bran  or  middlings,  milo,  kafir,  Indian 
corn,  dried  beet  pulp,  cocoanut  meal,  crushed  Carob  pods,  etc. ;  in 
the  case  of  more  or  less  delicate  calves  that  do  not  eat  their  feed 
readily,  a  small  proportion  of  linseed  meal  may  be  included  in  the 
grain  mixture.  Indian  corn,  oats  and  middlings  are  ordinarily  too 
expensive  to  be  used  for  feeding  calves  under  our  conditions.  A 
fine  quality  of  clean  bright  hay  should  be  placed  before  the  calves 


42 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 


twice  daily,  in  addition  to  skim  milk  and  grain,  in  such  amounts  as 
they  are  likely  to  clean  up. 

Only  heifer  calves  from  the  best  cows  in  the  herd  should  be  raised 
to  be  added  to  the  herd,  since  calves  from  other  cows  will  not  be 
likely  to  develop  into  profitable  dairy  cows.  Calves  not  raised  for 
the  dairy  herd  may  be  fed  for  veal  and  disposed  of  at  about  two 
months  of  age  or  later.  Whole  milk  can  only  be  fed  with  profit 
during  all  or  most  of  this  time  when  a  special  price  can  be  obtained 


Fig.  10. — Home-made  calf  stanchions. 


for  a  superior  article.  Such  markets  are  rarely  found  outside  of  the 
large  cities,  and  even  there  the  demand  for  choice  veal  is  limited,  al- 
though increasing.  Most  calves  that  are  to  be  vealed  must,  therefore, 
be  fed  skim  milk  after  the  first  couple  of  weeks ;  some  farmers  allow 
veal  calves  to  run  with  the  cows,  generally  placing  two  calves  to  a 
nurse  cow,  or  continue  the  feeding  of  w4iole  milk  along  with  skim 
milk  until  the  calves  are  sold,  but  this  method  increases  considerably 
the  cost  of  the  ration.  It  is  not  necessary  to  feed  whole  milk  for 
making  an  excellent  quality  of  veal;  and  this  can  be  produced  on 
skim  milk  supplemented  with  suitable  grain  feed  and  hay,  as  above 


FEEDING  DAIRY  CALVES  IN  CALIFORNIA  43 

suggested.  The  method  of  feeding  in  this  case  does  not  differ  from 
that  of  raising  skim-milk  calves  for  the  dairy,  except  that  the  calves 
are  fed  all  the  grain  they  will  eat  with  relish,  so  at  to  insure  rapid 
gains  in  weight.  Good  veal  calves  weighing  200  pounds  or  more 
may  be  sold  at  say  two  months  of  age,  at  a  feed  cost  below  $8  a  head, 
figured  at  current  market  prices.  The  production  of  veal  calves  under 
the  conditions  stated,  should  form  a  profitable  sideline  for  the  dairy 
farmer,  and  calls  for  but  little  extra  effort  beyond  providing  clean 
sanitary  quarters  for  the  calves  and  feeding  them  plenty  of  whole- 
some nutritious  feeds.  Cleanliness  and  regularity  in  feeding  are  most 
important  factors  in  successful  calf  raising. 

If  it  is  desired  to  feed  the  calves  for  a  longer  period  than  two 
months,  good  and  economical  returns  may  be  received  for  the  feed 
eaten,  by  continuing  the  system  of  feeding  outlined.  If  the  calves  are 
dropped  in  the  fall  or  winter,  they  may  be  put  on  pasture  in  the  spring, 
and  cheap  gains  made  by  feeding  a  few  pounds  of  grain  daily  per  head 
in  addition,  so  as  to  keep  them  in  a  growing  thrifty  condition.  It  will 
be  advisable  to  dispose  of  them  before  they  are  a  year  old,  however, 
when  they  should  weigh  600  pounds  or  better.  So-called  baby  beef,  a 
trade  term  for  15  to  18  months  old  steers,  weighing  1000  to  1200 
pounds,  can  only  be  raised  from  young  beef-bred  stock  of  a  blocky 
type  and  inbred  capacity  for  a  large  feed  consumption  and  a  rapid 
growth. 

One  of  the  common  causes  of  failure  in  raising  calves,  is  that  of 
over-feeding,  which  usually  results  in  scouring.  When  scouring  occurs, 
the  amount  of  milk  fed  should  be  immediately  reduced,  or  in  severe 
cases  no  milk  is  given  until  the  trouble  ceases.  If  no  improvement 
follows,  special  means  must  be  taken  to  stop  the  scouring.  There  are 
a  number  of  remedies  for  this  trouble  that  may  usually  be  applied 
with  satisfactory  results.  One  of  the  simplest  is  castor  oil,  two  table- 
spoonfuls  being  given  with  the  milk  or  alone,  once  a  day.  Another 
remedy  is  a  weak  solution  of  formaldehyde.  A  stock  solution  is  made 
up  on  one-half  ounce  of  commercial  formaldehyde  added  to  one  pint 
of  water,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  this  solution  is  given  in  the  milk  per 
pint  of  milk.  Blood  meal  will  also  often  prove  effective,  being  stirred 
into  the  milk  in  the  proportion  of  a  teaspoonful  per  feed ;  this  is  also 
a  good  tonic  for  weak  young  calves.  The  so-called  Soluble  Blood  Meal 
or  Blood  Flour  is  preferably  used  for  this  purpose. 

When  skim  milk  cannot  be  obtained,  it  will  be  necessary  to  feed 
whole  milk  until  the  calves  are  sufficiently  strong  and  thrifty  to  do 
well  on  a  gruel  of  ground  grain  and  mill  feeds,  at  about  three  or  four 


44  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT  STATION 

weeks  old.  It  is  a  difficult  undertaking  to  raise  very  young  calves 
successfully  without  milk  and  calls  for  constant  care  and  watchfulness 
on  the  part  of  the  feeder.  Commercial  calf  feeds  will  give  satisfactory 
results  in  some  cases,  but  are  relatively  expensive.  The  following 
home-made  mixture  for  young  calves  may  be  recommended  under  the 
conditions  prevailing  in  our  state:  rolled  or  ground  barley,  oats, 
wheat  middlings,  and  linseed  meal  or  flaxseed  meal,  two  parts  of  the 
first  three  feeds  and  one  part  of  linseed  meal,  or  of  ground  flaxseed, 
if  this  can  be  obtained  at  a  reasonable  price,  say  within  a  few  dollars 
of  the  price  of  linseed  meal  per  ton. 

As  suggested  in  the  introduction  to  this  bulletin,  progress  in  dairy- 
ing depends  to  a  large  extent  on  farmers  raising  the  heifer  calves  from 
all  the  good  cows  in  their  herds.  Only  in  this  way  can  they  take 
advantage  of  the  improvement  in  the  production  of  the  herd  which 
they  have  been  able  to  reach,  and  maintain  a  high  production  in  their 
herd.  The  purchase  of  mature  pure-bred  bulls  or  of  heavy-producing 
cows  is  not  possible  for  most  dairy  farmers,  although  no  farmer  can 
expect  to  make  a  success  of  dairying  unless  he  places  at  the  head  of 
his  herd  the  best  pure-bred  dairy  bull  that  he  can  secure.  It  is  a  trite 
but  true  saying  among  breeders,  that  the  bull  is  half  the  herd;  he 
transmits  to  his  offspring  the  capacity  for  a  large  dairy  production  that 
has  been  bred  into  him  for  many  generations  back,  and  is,  therefore, 
likely  to  be  worth  all  that  he  costs,  and  more;  but  cows  of  good  or 
exceptional  productive  capacities  are  rarely  for  sale,  except  perhaps 
at  fancy  prices.  Each  farmer  is,  therefore,  as  a  rule  dependent  on 
his  own  supply  of  calves  for  maintaining  or  increasing  the  production 
of  his  herd.  Calves  not  intended  to  be  added  to  the  herd  should  be 
raised  for  veal.  The  data  presented  in  this  bulletin  as  to  methods 
and  results  obtained  in  feeding  various  common  feeds  available  in 
this  state  to  dairy  calves  have  shown  how  the  latter  can  be  raised 
successfully  and  profitably,  either  for  the  dairy  herd  or  for  veal. 
These  discussions  should  prove  of  assistance  to  farmers  in  their 
efforts  toward  improving  the  production  and  the  returns  secured  from 
the  dairy  herd. 


STATION  PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  TOR  DISTRIBUTION 


REPORTS 

1897.      Resistant  Vines,   their  Selection,  Adaptation,   and  Grafting.     Appendix  to  Viticultural 
Report  for  1896. 

1902.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for   1898-1901. 

1903.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1901-03. 

1904.  Twenty-second  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1903-04. 

1914.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural   Experiment   Station,   July. 

1913-June,   1914. 

1915.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural  Experiment   Station,   July 

1914-June,   1915. 


No. 

168. 

169. 
178. 
184. 

185. 

195. 
207. 
208. 
212. 
213. 
216. 


225. 
227. 
230. 
234. 
241. 
242. 
246. 
248. 

249. 
250. 


Observations  on  Some  Vine  Diseases 
in   Sonoma  County. 

Tolerance  of  the  Sugar  Beet  for  Alkali. 

Mosquito  Control. 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist  to 
July   1,    1906. 

Report  of  Progress  in  Cereal  Investi- 
gations. 

The  California   Grape  Root-worm. 

The  Control  of  the  Argentine  Ant. 

The  Late  Blight  of  Celery. 

California  White  Wheats. 

The   Principles  of  Wine-making. 

A  Progress  Report  Upon  Soil  and  Cli- 
matic Factors  Influencing  the  Com- 
position of  Wheat. 

Tolerance  of  Eucalyptus  for  Alkali. 

Grape  Vinegar. 

Enological  Investigations. 

Red  Spiders  and  Mites  of  Citrus  Trees. 

Vine  Pruning  in  California,  Part  I. 

Humus  in  California   Soils. 

Vine   Pruning  in   California,   Part  II. 

The  Economic  Value  of  Pacific  Coast 
Kelps. 

Stock-Poisoning  Plants  of  California. 

The  Loquat. 


BULLETINS 
No. 
251. 


252. 
253. 

254. 

255. 
256. 
257. 
261. 

262. 

263. 
265. 
266. 

267. 
268, 
269. 
270. 


271. 


Utilization  of  the  Nitrogen  and  Organic 
Matter  in  Septic  and  Imhoff  Tank 
Sludges. 

Deterioration  of  Lumber. 

Irrigation  and  Soil  Conditions  in  the 
Sierra   Nevada   Foothills,    California. 

The  Avocado  in  California. 

The  Citricola  Scale. 

Value  of  Barley  for  Cows  Fed  Alfalfa. 

New  Dosage  Tables. 

Melaxuma  of  the  Walnut,  "Juglans 
regia." 

Citrus  Diseases  of  Florida  and  Cuba 
Compared  with  Those  of  California. 

Size  Grade  for  Ripe  Olives. 

Cottony  Rot  of  Lemons  in  California. 

A  Spotting  of  Citrus  Fruits  Due  to  the 
Action  of  Oil  Liberated  from  the  Rind. 

Experiments  with  Stocks  for  Citrus. 

Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 

Phenolic   Insecticides   and  Fungicides. 

A  Comparison  of  Annual  Cropping, 
Biennial  Cropping,  and  Green  Ma- 
nures on  the  Yield  of  Wheat. 

Feeding  Dairy  Calves  in  California. 


CIRCULARS 

No,  No. 

65.   The  California   Insecticide  Law.  135. 

69.  The   Extermination    of   Morning-Glory.  136. 

70.  Observations    on    the    Status    of    Corn  137. 

Growing  in   California.  138. 

76.   Hot   Room   Callusing.  139. 

82.   The     Common     Ground     Squirrels     of 

California. 

106.  Directions  for  Using  Anti-Hog  Cholera  140. 

Serum. 

107.  Spraying  Walnut  Trees  for  Blight  and 

Aphis    Control.  141. 

108.  Grape  Juice. 

109.  Communit"   or   Local  Extension   Work  142. 

by  the  High  School  Agricultural  De- 
partment. 143. 

113.  Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 

114.  Increasing  the  Duty  of  Water.  144. 

115.  Grafting  Vinifera  Vineyards.  145. 

117.  The    Selection    and    Cost    of    a    Small 

Pumping  Plant.  146. 

118.  The  County  Farm  Bureau. 

121.   Some    Things    the    Prospective    Settler  147. 

Should  Know.  148. 

124.   Alfalfa   Silage  for  Fattening  Steers.  149. 

126.  Spraying  for  the  Grape  Leaf  Hopper.  150. 

127.  House  Fumigation.  151. 

128.  Insecticide   Formulas.  152. 

129.  The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects. 

130.  Cabbage   Growing  in   California.  153. 

131.  Spraying  for  Control  of  Walnut  Aphis. 

132.  When      to      Vaccinate      against      Hog  154. 

Cholera. 

133.  County  Farm  Adviser.  155. 

134.  Control  of  Raisin   Insects. 


Official  Tests  of  Dairy  Cows. 

Melilotus  Indica. 

Wood  Decay  in  Orchard  Trees. 

The  Silo  in  California  Agriculture. 

The  Generation  of  Hydrocyanic  Acid 
Gas  in  Fumigation  by  Portable  Ma- 
chines. 

The  Practical  Application  of  Improved 
Methods  of  Fermentation  in  Califor- 
nia Wineries  during  1913  and  1914. 

Standard  Insecticides  and  Fungicides 
versus   Secret  .Preparations. 

Practical  and  Inexpensive  Poultry  Ap- 
pliances. 

Control  of  Grasshoppers  in  Imperial 
Valley. 

Oidium  or  Powdery  Mildew  of  the  Vine. 

Suggestions  to  Poultrymen  concerning 
Chicken  Pox. 

Jellies  and  Marmalades  from  Citrus 
Fruits. 

Tomato  Growing  in  California. 

"Lungworms." 

Lawn  Making  in  California 

Round  Worms  in  Poultry. 

Feeding  and  Management  of  Hogs. 

Some  Observations  on  the  Bulk  Hand- 
ling of  Grain  in  California. 

Announcement  of  the  California  State 
Dairy  Cow  Competition,   1916-18. 

Irrigation  Practice  in  Growing  Small 
Fruits  in  California. 

Bovine  Tuberculosis. 


